Caught in the act
by Dany le fou
Summary: Helen and Deneve overhear an interesting conversation. What exactly is going on behind this closed door?


**Disclaimer** : I don't own Claymore

()()()()

It was a plain, boring day in Staff. Ever since the Organization had been destroyed, the remaining warriors had taken over the place and used it as their own. Part of it was convenience, as there was still the occasional request to terminate the few Yoma and Awakened that remained, and part of it was necessity, as even now, few cities were willing to have the hybrids among their citizens. With plenty of available room and the necessary accommodations, and despite the bad memories associated with this place, the Claymores and the last batch of trainees had chosen to stick together.

"Hey Deneve, did you hear that?" Helen asked as she stopped in the hallway. She and her best friend were heading off to their rooms for the night when a strange, muffled sound had caught her attention.

"Hear what?"

"I don't know… It came from…" They both turned as the sound was heard again. "… Here."

They found themselves looking at a familiar door.

More accurately, the door to Clare's room.

"It sounded like a moan or something." Deneve commented, to which Helen's face split into an ear-to-ear grin.

Now it should be noted that one specific male did also reside in Staff, having been elected the trainees' de-facto big brother. And it was no secret that he and Clare were very close, though no one had ever managed to prove any romantic relationship between the two.

It didn't prevent a betting poll from going on.

So with the feeling that she had hit the jackpot, Helen stealthily moved to the door and began listening in.

()()()()

"I must say, I didn't think you'd be so good at this, Raki." Clare said through the door.

"Well, it may be my first time, but once you've gotten the hang of it, it's pretty easy. In and out, in and out…"

()()()()

"Ah! I knew it! They're …" Helen breathed, unable to believe her ears.

"Don't jump to conclusions Helen." Deneve said.

"Then why don't you come here and tell me what you think it is." Helen challenged. Knowing that Helen wouldn't let it go, Deneve rolled her eyes and stuck her ear to the door. Her face quickly turned slightly pink as more suggestive sounds came out.

"So, what else do you think it could be?" Helen giggled.

Deneve didn't answer as she tried to listen better.

()()()()

"Are you sure I'm not going too hard?"

"I'm fine. Sure it's not completely pleasant for me to be honest but you're very gentle, so it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it should." Clare's voice was somewhat strained, like she was breathing a bit harder than normal.

"I have no idea how you can take this. I'd be screaming if I was in your place."

"Habit I guess. I've had much bigger things in me after all. Compared to those, this is nothing."

"I can imagine, but I wouldn't call _this_ 'nothing'." Raki sounded almost offended.

"Well, I'll admit it's pretty big, but I'm used to it now. So feel free to go faster if you want ."

"Fine, as you wish."

()()()()

"My, Clare does sound like she's gotten around, doesn't she? Who would have thought, it's always the quiet ones."

"Helen, stop drooling!" Deneve hissed.

"Helen? Deneve? What's going on?" Yuma asked from behind the duo. Before she could ask further however, Helen frantically shoved her hand on her mouth, effectively silencing the shy warrior. Noticing Cynthia next to Yuma, she glared at the pig-tailed Claymore, wordlessly ordering her to keep quiet.

"Clare and Raki. Alone in a room." she hissed tersely. "Take a guess."

"Maybe they're just talking." Cynthia suggested, whispering despite herself.

"A very interesting talk I must say." Helen retorted. Deneve, whose ear was still pressed to the door, nodded in agreement as she sounds came louder and faster than before, now clearly audible from the hallway. Obviously Raki had sped up his pace.

Unable to resist the curiosity or restrain their blushes, Yuma and Cynthia quickly moved so they could listen in as well.

()()()()

"You're too tense, Clare."

"Sorry, I'm having difficulties to hold it. Still having someone do this for me is easier than doing it myself."

"I can imagine. Did you need it often?" Raki asked.

"Thankfully, no. Most of the time I had no choice but to deal with it on my own, though Miria also helped me out once or twice."

()()()()

Outside the room, the eavesdroppers shared a glance.

"Clare and Miria?" Yuma mouthed.

"No way." Deneve murmured back.

"I never thought…" Cynthia whispered.

Helen didn't reply, too busy cackling gleefully. Oh yeah she'd have words with Clare _and_ Miria after this!

()()()()

Clare let out a pained hiss.

"Sorry, I pushed it a little too far in."Raki apologized.

"It's all right. I've had worse after all. And you could always kiss it better." Clare joked.

There was a moment of silence, then Clare's startled voice continued. "I didn't expect you to actually do it."

"You know I'd kiss every pain of yours away if I could, Clare."

()()()()

"Awwww… how sweet." Cynthia gushed.

"I'm getting cavities." Deneve snorted.

"Jealous, Deneve?" Helen teased.

"Shouldn't we leave?" Yuma asked. "This is a pretty private moment between them after all. We shouldn't be spying on them."

"Yuma, we're not spying, we're looking out for Clare's wellbeing by ensuring no harm comes to her." Helen reasoned. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Raki would never do anything to hurt Clare." Yuma stated uneasily.

"But it can't hurt to make sure, right." Cynthia suggested.

And with this excellent intention, four ears were once again pressed against the door.

()()()()

"Anyway, that proves it, I'd better take it slow." Raki concluded.

"Raki, you've been at it for over an hour. I'm not made of glass you know. A little pain won't kill me." Clare sounded like she was pleading.

()()()()

"It almost sounds like she's… asking for it?" Cynthia gasped.

"Oh. My. God. She's… she's…" Yuma stammered.

"A masochist." Helen gloated. "I knew it!"

()()()()

"I'm _not_ rushing this. I'm making sure it's done right. Even if it takes one more hour. Or even two or three." Raki countered.

"No need to be so extreme, we're nearly done anyway. I'm just… surprised that's all. Most people would rush just to be over with it. Thank you Raki, it does mean a lot to me."

"Hey, you know me, always eager to please."

()()()()

Helen grinned even as she wiped a little bit of drool as some interesting images came to mind.

()()()()

"EEEEPPP!" Clare squealed.

"Clare! What's wrong?"

A giggle answered him. "Sorry, you hit a rather… sensitive area. A little ticklish too."

"Oh? Good to know."

More giggles were heard. "Stop it Raki! If you keep this up we'll have to start again!"

"Okay, okay. Just hold on for a few more seconds, Clare... Nearly there... Move your hands a little. Okay… I'll pull it out now."

A series of groans was heard, followed by a sigh of relief.

"There!" Raki shouted in triumph. "All done! How does it feel?"

"A little sore, but it'll pass. Overall, I feel great."

()()()()

By now the four peeping Claymores were pressed so tightly against the door, it was like they were trying to meld into it.

"I bet she does!" Helen scowled.

()()()()

"Are you sure? I can't help but feel I could have done better."

"Raki, you did amazingly well. Heck maybe I should advertise your services to the others."

()()()()

"Oh yeah, now she's going to brag." Helen commented sourly.

"As if you wouldn't if it was you." Deneve shot back.

()()()()

"Who knows, maybe they'll ask you too." Clare said teasingly.

"And you'd be okay with that?"

Clare paused for a moment. "With our bodies being what they are, it's difficult for us to find anyone willing to help. So if they asked you, I wouldn't mind."

()()()()

Yuma was blushing brightly, Deneve had perked up, and Cynthia's nose was bleeding. Helen was about to barge through the door and demand some 'help' too when…

"What are you all doing here?" a voice half-asked, half-demanded behind them.

The result was instantaneous as the startled group fell through the door in an undignified heap. At the same moment Raki yelped in pain.

"Raki? Are you all right?" Clare asked in concern.

"Yeah, just jabbed myself with the needle." the young man replied.

'Is that how he calls it?' Helen wondered in amusement, though her position at the bottom of the pile dampened her mood somewhat.

Clare's bare feet came into view, and four pairs of eyes went up, seeing that as they had thought, Clare was completely naked and obviously unashamed about it as she stood over them, arms crossed under her breasts, her silver eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Care to explain what is going on here?" the intruder, who turned out to be an equally annoyed Miria, repeated.

"I am curious about that myself." Clare said. A shirtless Raki came behind her, looking rather confused as he sucked on his bleeding right index.

The four warriors finally managed to disentangle themselves from each other and stood up.

"We should be the ones asking, Fourty-Seven." Helen leered at her friend. "Judging by your attire, you and your hunk were enjoying some quality time here."

Clare merely raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you are mistaken."

"Oh? Do you have another explanation? Let us hear it then." Helen challenged.

"I tore a couple of stitches earlier, and Raki offered to fix them. However in the end he insisted on redoing them entirely." Clare stated matter-of-factly, a deadpan expression on her face.

This caused a double take from everyone, including Miria, and they noted Raki was indeed holding a long needle in his left hand. Then they looked at Clare. Instead of the crude, rushed patching up they all carried, they saw that the sides of the wound were pressed tightly together and held securely by meticulously-done stitches. This alone made the stigmata look less intimidating, and at least Clare didn't look like she was about to spilt herself open.

Helen laughed nervously. "Oh yeah… looking good there Clare."

"If I may ask, why is Raki not wearing a shirt then?" Yuma asked with a pink blush on her cheeks.

Raki scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, it didn't seem fair for me to be clothed while Clare was naked, right?"

"I guess…" Cynthia admitted as she stole a discreet glance at the man, dimly thinking that 'fair' would have meant he'd have foregone the pants as well.

"Anyway, now that this matter is cleared up, would you all mind leaving?" Despite the polite tone, it was obvious that it was not a request. The glare she threw at Helen had the former Twenty-Second warrior laughing nervously even as she quickly scrambled away, the others following a little too eagerly, though they made a mental note to take an appointment with Raki later on.

Watching her friends' retreat in amusement, Miria gave Clare and her male friend a smile and a nod before taking her leave. Clare quickly closed the door behind them and sighed deeply. Hearing Raki chuckle softly, she raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"What?"

"Just thinking, we're lucky they didn't think about asking _how_ you tore those stitches. I didn't think it was possible to bend _that_ far."

Clare stifled a giggle, which only came out as an unladylike snort and gently examined his injured right hand. He had prickled his index finger deeply when the door opened, and it was still bleeding quite a bit.

Raki was about to say more, mostly about Clare's unexpected flexibility in certain circumstances, when Clare slowly brought the finger to her mouth, eyes still locked with his. His breath hitched as her soft pink lips wrapped themselves around the digit and she began to sensually suck it to stop the bleeding.

"Clare…" Raki groaned, seeing her usually cold silver eyes become sultry and seductive. With a final, exaggeratedly slow lick, Clare released his finger, a predatory smile on her face.

"You know Raki… I think we should check if those stitches can take as much strain than the old ones."

"Really?" Raki grinned back at her. "What kind of test do you have in mind?"

Clare gently pushed him toward the bed. "The _very_ lengthy and _very_ thorough kind." she whispered in his ear.

Hours later, Clare could happily confirm the solidity of Raki's work.

The bed on the other hand had not resisted.

()()()()

**Author note :** yeah, I can't believe I managed to turn the Claymores' stigma into something fun *face palm* Anyway, this could have come out sooner but Shieky was busy. Still it's something to read before chp132 comes out and dumps more bad news on our heroes.


End file.
